Army Veteran Whose Probationary Status Would’ve Ended in Five Weeks But Got Fired by DOGE: ‘I Was Crushed’

BURNETT Thank you for ░░░░░░░░ here GRAZIANI Thank you ░░░░░░░░ having me BURNETT So ░░░░░░░░ days ago 8 A ░░░░░░░░ you show up to ░░░░░░░░ it s Valentine s ░░░░░░░░ and you have the ░░░░░░░░ from DOGE and it ░░░░░░░░ your services are no ░░░░░░░░ needed The quote is ░░░░░░░░ have not demonstrated your ░░░░░░░░ employment at the agency ░░░░░░░░ be in the public ░░░░░░░░ GRAZIANI Right BURNETT So ░░░░░░░░ happened as you read ░░░░░░░░ email GRAZIANI I was ░░░░░░░░ crushed just devastated by ░░░░░░░░ news I never would ░░░░░░░░ expected something like that ░░░░░░░░ my email I thought ░░░░░░░░ was just going to ░░░░░░░░ just a regular workday ░░░░░░░░ show up log into ░░░░░░░░ email and there it ░░░░░░░░ just sitting there I ░░░░░░░░ it out sent it ░░░░░░░░ myself so I had ░░░░░░░░ for future use I ░░░░░░░░ a one on one ░░░░░░░░ my director around 10 ░░░░░░░░ M By noon my ░░░░░░░░ was disabled and then ░░░░░░░░ 3 P M that ░░░░░░░░ I was walking out ░░░░░░░░ door with my stuff ░░░░░░░░ I mean so you ░░░░░░░░ what we call a ░░░░░░░░ employee Meaning you were ░░░░░░░░ new employee right You ░░░░░░░░ you were five weeks ░░░░░░░░ actually from not being ░░░░░░░░ probationary employee GRAZIANI Yeah ░░░░░░░░ close BURNETT The way ░░░░░░░░ this the capricious nature ░░░░░░░░ this right was anybody ░░░░░░░░ s a probationary employee ░░░░░░░░ was the cutoff right ░░░░░░░░ this had nothing to ░░░░░░░░ with you right You ░░░░░░░░ just a name you ░░░░░░░░ a name on a ░░░░░░░░ GRAZIANI That s right ░░░░░░░░ But you re a ░░░░░░░░ being and you ve ░░░░░░░░ four kids I mean ░░░░░░░░ are the emotions of ░░░░░░░░ for you as you ░░░░░░░░ look at five weeks ░░░░░░░░ this wouldn t have ░░░░░░░░ to you GRAZIANI It ░░░░░░░░ surreal to think that ░░░░░░░░ this come five weeks ░░░░░░░░ I would have had ░░░░░░░░ issues whatsoever I just ░░░░░░░░ have went to work ░░░░░░░░ normal and did my ░░░░░░░░ tasks with no problem ░░░░░░░░ So what do you ░░░░░░░░ now I mean as ░░░░░░░░ were coming to air ░░░░░░░░ was asking you okay ░░░░░░░░ if they said they ░░░░░░░░ going to be paying ░░░░░░░░ through the end of ░░░░░░░░ summer You don t ░░░░░░░░ know about any of ░░░░░░░░ GRAZIANI No it s ░░░░░░░░ like the the recent ░░░░░░░░ buyout or resignation or ░░░░░░░░ that was This was ░░░░░░░░ abrupt As far as ░░░░░░░░ know right now I ░░░░░░░░ terminated and I m ░░░░░░░░ waiting to see if ░░░░░░░░ exemption that was put ░░░░░░░░ for me will be ░░░░░░░░ so I can go ░░░░░░░░ to work BURNETT So ░░░░░░░░ want okay so your ░░░░░░░░ would have put in ░░░░░░░░ exemption to try to ░░░░░░░░ you to go back ░░░░░░░░ Yeah BURNETT I mean ░░░░░░░░ you ve served your ░░░░░░░░ for 20 years 20 ░░░░░░░░ you served this country ░░░░░░░░ Iraq and Afghanistan And ░░░░░░░░ here you are I ░░░░░░░░ 1 in 3 federal ░░░░░░░░ are veterans like yourself ░░░░░░░░ You re not you ░░░░░░░░ not the only one ░░░░░░░░ is going through this ░░░░░░░░ you feel in some ░░░░░░░░ I mean given what ░░░░░░░░ have given to this ░░░░░░░░ a betrayal GRAZIANI For ░░░░░░░░ There s a certain ░░░░░░░░ of that for sure ░░░░░░░░ at the end of ░░░░░░░░ day I think I ░░░░░░░░ just caught in a ░░░░░░░░ a really strange list ░░░░░░░░ names that just happened ░░░░░░░░ be probationary employees.”